New Scotland head coach Sebastien Pocognoli hopes Scott McTominay was tucked up at home on Saturday, licking his lips at the prospect of playing his part in a new-look side.
The national team talisman was missing from Pocognoli's squad as the Belgian began his tenure with a training camp in La Manga last week and a 0-0 Nations League draw in Slovenia on Saturday. Napoli's main man is continuing his rehab after undergoing minor heart surgery but is expected to be back in Serie A action after the international break.
Get well soon message
Pocognoli has sent him a timely get-well-soon message along with a reminder that he will have a key role to play in the big Scottish rebrand. Pocognoli opened up with an aggressive 3-4-1-2 formation in Ljubljana before tweaking his system in the second half.
And he wants McTominay to be visualising his own part in the system. Pocognoli said: "For now we just need to put the structure in place. I hope Scott watched the game and thought, 'OK, I see myself in that shape in the second half!'."
"I hope he was thinking that with good discipline he can enjoy it. I hope he can look and think 'Yeah, I want to play!'. He can play in many positions. He is a top player so he can read the game. We will see. November is coming."
Gannon-Doak's pathway
Pocognoli is also adamant that winger Ben Gannon-Doak can be bled into the starting XI after being left on the bench for the opening Group B1 game. The Bournemouth wide man was introduced as a right wing back late in the game, sparking suggestions that Gannon-Doak may struggle to find a regular starting slot under the new man.
But Pocognoli said: "No it will not be difficult. It is a process. At his club he also needs to settle. He is young and he needs to play more for his club. He is a top, top kid first of all and a top player and a game-changer, and we don't have a lot of those."
"That is why Josh McPake is also with us because I want more of that. Maybe in the future if those two make the step we can be open to exploring many shapes. In that wide position, in the shape we had in Slovenia, it would have been risky to start with Ben because we have to know that sometimes you can be beaten in transition."
"The pattern on the ball can sometimes be bad and then it is not the game for Ben. But when we have good control on the pitch, like in the second half, that becomes his game. It was nice that in that kind of game he showed he can also react in transitions because that is the trigger for him. But he can also play in the ten in that shape, or he can play in various positions if it is a back four. At Bournemouth he is also inverted sometimes."
Flexible approach
Asked if he is more flexible on shape than people think, the boss responded: "I am flexible but I wait for the right moment. I also have the concept to play with one-v-one players, that is a different shape. It is a question of time."
"They need to reach the international level. I am already adapting to the quality of the team. We have a strong midfield so we maybe have to secure a little on the depth so maybe a back five is good. It doesn't mean we are low or that we can't press. Step by step we will adapt."
